Winter/spring reservation requests are now being taken for the Faculty/Staff House at SPU's Camp Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island. The dates of stay are January 4–June 14, 2021. Reservation requests are due by November 5, 2020. These requests are selected by lottery and are not affected by summer stays at Casey.

Due to COVID-19 and our continued desire for guest safety, some reservations may be shorted due to vacancy requirements. If we have to cancel your stay due to COVID-19, we will refund your payment. Please request a reservation online. If you have questions, contact Camp Casey at 866-661-6604 or campcasey@spu.edu. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Open Enrollment is now available in Banner through Oct. 30. This is your opportunity to make changes to your benefit elections for the 2021 benefit plan year–including medical, dental, vision, and flexible-spending accounts. Please review the HR Wiki page: 2021 Open Enrollment Information.

Watch previously recorded Virtual Benefits webinars:  

• Wednesday, Oct. 14: Health care for the Whole You – Aetna webinar.
• Thursday, Oct. 15: HSAs, HRAs, and FSAs – HSA Bank webinar.
• Friday, Oct. 16: HSA Contribution Planning Workshop – (SPU Human Resources)

Ask an Aetna representative about your specific circumstances or get advice on how to best prepare for any changes. Sign up for an Aetna one-on-one meeting on Oct. 19 or Oct 20.

In the wake of a movement against anti-Black racism and police brutality, a global pandemic, and an historic U.S. presidential election close at hand, the church faces numerous challenges and opportunities. Church leaders, community members, and students are invited to “For Such a Time as This,” on Oct. 20, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. (Pacific Time). An interactive virtual forum hosted by Seattle Pacific Seminary and featuring leaders in Christian reconciliation, community development, and congregational care.

From health care, to politics and from advertising to social justice, every career is touched by data and data analysis. Please join us for the first in a series of panel discussions from the with those who incorporate these skills into their daily work and careers. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, at 5 p.m. via Zoom, this panel will feature Dr. Ben McFarland, SPU professor of biochemistry; Dr. John Zimmerman, Disease Biophysics Group, Harvard University; and Diana Clinch, customer success lead, Humana. To join, click this Zoom link before the meeting begins.

The School of Business, Government, and Economics Dean’s Speaker Series welcomes Julie Wise, director of King County Elections, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. Held via Zoom, space is limited. RSVP to cal@spu.edu.

A message from the Office of Faculty Life: In case we missed you last week, or if you want to view the Days of Common Learning sessions again, the recordings from each session are available here, including the dynamic panel discussions (The Accelerated Digital Transformation of Our Lives and World; Theology and the Future of Work; Jobs of Tomorrow; and Impact of Sociopolitical Disruption on Diverse Populations) and the keynote address from Andrew Yang followed by a faculty and student panel discussion.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence invites you to join us 12–1 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, for Diversity 103: Becoming a Faith-Formed Inclusive Community. Learn more and sign up here.

Join CIS on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 1–1:45 p.m. or Thursday, Oct. 29, 10–10:45 a.m. for a training session on best cybersecurity practices at work and at home. RSVP here to receive a Microsoft Teams meeting link. Contact Allison Pincus in CIS at pincusa@spu.edu with questions, and find more information on the CIS training program. Please give your feedback on their training program by taking this 1- to 3-minute long survey.

The “Best Paper” winners from the 2019 Bill Pollard Faith & Business Research Fellowship are Dr. Helen Chung, assistant professor of industrial-organizational psychology at SPU, and Dr. Marcus Brauer, professor at Estacio de Sa University and Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. They will introduce their papers and have a dialogue about their findings on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 1–2:30 p.m. via Zoom. More information and registration can be found online.

The Bill Pollard Faith & Business Research Fellowship was developed to help bridge the gap between the work of academic business scholars and business practice. Learn more about Bill and the C. William Pollard Papers in the online Digital Commons @ SPU.

Mammograms save lives. To help make these essential tests convenient for women in the SPU community, SPU is hosting the Swedish Mobile Mammography coach on Friday, Oct. 23. Schedule your appointment by going to Swedish Breast Center Online Scheduler. Bring your medical history form from the online scheduling link, your insurance card, and photo ID. COVID-19 safety measures will be in place, and face coverings are required. The coach will be near Tiffany Loop on Third Avenue West. For more information, contact Cherylin Shdo, human resources benefits specialist, at shdoc@spu.edu.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence offers diversity seed grants up to $1,500 to support departmentwide initiatives that advance one or more of the University’s strategic diversity goals. The application window for the quarter closes on November 1. If you have any questions, please email vpoie@spu.edu.

During each academic quarter, the Perkins Center sends out a weekly newsletter focusing on areas of reconciliation, justice, and community engagement, with a hope of motivating reflection and conversation and ways to create connection. Each week includes a brief reflection by a SPU community member and a collection of events and opportunities to engage in community, develop awareness, or experience new cultures. You can sign-up for this weekly resource by emailing perkinscenter@spu.edu. Here is a recent newsletter as an example.

All faculty and staff who come to campus must complete an online self-screening to attest that they meet certain criteria for being on campus (e.g., not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms). SPU has developed a campuswide tool through Banner (login into Banner and select Personal Menu) to report a daily COVID-19 self-attestation for faculty and staff working on campus (including Camp Casey or Blakely Island). A link to the self-attestation form is also available on the Stay Smart website, which is now highlighted in the top banner on the SPU homepage.

A message from Health Services: Students and employees should contact SPU Health Services at 206-281-2231 right away if:

• They are feeling sick and experiencing any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 (e.g., fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle aches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea). For this purpose, fever is a temperature of 100.4°F or higher.
• You have been in close contact with a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 within the preceding 14 days. If you are unsure whether your exposure constitutes “close contact,” contact SPU Health Services to discuss. 
• If you test positive for SARS CoV2, with or without symptoms.

If you have questions, contact Health Services.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, Oct.26, and the deadline is Thursday, Oct. 22. If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible with an image or graphic to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity.

Bruce Baker, associate professor of business ethics, had his article, “Sin and the Hacker Ethic: The Tragedy of Techno-Utopian Ideology in Cyberspace Business Cultures,” published in the Journal of Religion and Business Ethics. His article deals with the topic of the new Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, and offers a critique of Facebook particularly relevant in our election season.

J.J. Johnson Leese, assistant professor of Christian Scripture, recently had two reviews published: Her review of Conformed to the Image of His Son by Haley Goranson Jacob appeared in the August 2020 Review of Biblical Literature, and her review of Unveiling Paul’s Women by Lucy Peppiatt appeared in the Review of Biblical Literature’s October 2020 issue.

Katie Kresser, professor of art, had her article, “On Museums and Monsters: Defining Art,” appear in the Christian Scholar’s Review blog, Oct. 12, 2020.

Alissa Walter, assistant professor of history, presented a paper for the Middle East Studies Association annual conference. The title of the paper was "The Neo-Conservative Imaginary and Baghdad's Neighborhood Councils, 2003-2010."

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming the following new staff members:

• Jen Haveman, administrative assistant, Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
• Brennan Stewart, instructional designer, Educational Technology and Media

Dale Cannavan, associate professor of exercise science and department chair, was quoted in the article “COVID-19 changes how Western athletes train,” in the Oct. 12, 2020, issue of Bellingham’s The Western Front.

Former longtime faculty member and SPU alumnus Grayson Capp '58 passed away on October 15 in Seattle. He is the husband of adjunct music faculty member Myrna Capp. Grayson taught chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry for 35 years, and co-established SPU's pre-med advising program. He also taught undergraduate and medical students in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. His public health research involved Seattle Pacific undergraduates, including a student Fulbright recipient. He was featured in Response magazine upon his retirement from SPU in 2003. Plans for a memorial service are still pending.

Reita Krienke, wife of the late Professor Emeritus of Physics Karl Krienke, passed away on April 7, 2020. She and Karl were married for 58 years before he died in December 2018. Karl was a professor of physics and mathematics for 44 year, retiring in 1997.

Longtime master gardener Jeff Daley, the steward of SPU’s gardens and arboretum for more than 30 years, is no longer on campus. The contract with his employer, Northwest Landscape Services (NLS), was not renewed. Jeff is still with NLS and currently working as the single site manager for the Expedia campus in Seattle. The new SPU landscaping company is Earthworks Landscape Services.

Jeff was always a familiar face as he tended to the numerous gardens and flower planters he created. Some of his work is seen in the perennials surrounding Alexander & Adelaide Hall, the ornamental grass garden in the courtyard of Weter Memorial Hall, and Martin Square’s large-scale planters.

Jeff earned the title of master gardener from Washington State University in 2010, and was named one of five outstanding master gardeners in King County in 2018 by Washington State University’s Master Gardener Program. He is currently president of the West Seattle Garden Tour. He is a popular lecturer at local nurseries, and he mentors interns and teaches courses on landscaping. If you’re interested, you can check out “Gardening with Jeff” on his YouTube channel.

Jeff’s wife, Susan ’83, is an alumna and former SPU staff member. Sons Ryan ’15 and Evan’18 are both SPU graduates, and Keegan is a current senior. The Office of Facility and Project Management will honor Jeff and other staff members during a special event sometime in the future when it's safe to gather again post-COVID.